Well, the Alaska Aces won't lack for intimidating muscle in the upcoming season, not after their announcement today that they have signed veteran winger Justin Johnson of Anchorage, who last season became the 14th Alaskan to play in the NHL.
J.J., as everyone calls him, when they aren't referring to him as The Governor -- Johnson is an outgoing, social sort -- late last season earned some attention when the New York Islanders called him up from the AHL and he dropped Buffalo Sabres enforcer John Scott, a 6-foot-8 dude, with a wicked left hand. You can check out that bout here.
There's more to J.J.'s story than that, of course. The former East High skater walked on at UAA and played four seasons there. He was cut by both the Aces and the Idaho Steelheads before he got a foothold in the ECHL, and he used that to ascend to the AHL, where he played four seasons. This will be J.J.'s third tour of duty with the Aces -- he last played for them in the 2009-10 season, when he had 3-4--7 totals and 249 penalty minutes (third in the league) in 54 regular-season games.
Johnson last season played two games for the Isles and 50 for AHL Bridgeport, where he went 1-4--5 in 50 games, with 195 PIMs.
He counts as one of the four veterans the Aces are allowed under ECHL rules.
Johnson, 33, is entering his ninth pro season. He's been in 128 pro bouts.
He will be wildly popular here once again because he'll take on anyone, he'll protect teammates and he'll no doubt be out and about giving the Aces publicity off the ice as well.
Imagine Aces public address announcer Bob Lester is psyched. Probably ditto for Stockton Thunder captain Garet Hunt, who is up for a go with anyone who wants to drop the mitts. Hunt and Johnson fought a couple times back in the 2009-10 season.
Anyhow, look for more on J.J.'s signing later today on adn.com and also in Wednesday's dead-trees edition of the publication.